Converting coker unit off-gas into hydrogen and carbon nanomaterials
Partners: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
Hydrogen is expected to play an essential role in Canada’s transition to net zero carbon emissions. Beyond its traditional uses in chemical production, hydrogen fuel cells offer a zero-exhaust alternative to electric power for commercial shipping vehicles such as heavy trucks and container ships, where current electric battery technology is inadequate. In addition, it is an attractive option for producing renewable electric power for periods when solar and wind energy are less available.
Unfortunately, hydrogen is primarily produced from natural gas in a process that generates large amounts of carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, valuable forms of solid carbon nanomaterials have growing industrial demand. In particular, carbon nanotubes are used in wind turbine blades, sporting equipment, automotive parts, and rechargeable batteries.
Through this project, we will develop a process whereby by-products from oil refinery coker units are converted into hydrogen and carbon nanotubes, two commercially valuable products, without producing carbon dioxide. Carbon that would otherwise be released into the environment as a greenhouse gas will be locked into solid nanotubes used in wind power and battery technologies, further reducing carbon emissions. This project will support Canada’s increasing zero-emission hydrogen needs while providing an economically attractive process to the petrochemical industry.
Research Biographies
Michael Boutilier
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; cross appointed to the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
- PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Computation, MIT (2017)
- MASc in Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo (2011)
- BASc in Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo (2009)
Michael received his PhD in mechanical engineering and computation from MIT where he majored in thermal-fluids engineering and minored in nanoscale science and technology. His doctoral research focused on developing graphene membranes for gas separation and on the invention of xylem water filters.
He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo, where he researched airfoil operation at low Reynolds numbers. After completing his PhD, he worked as a conductor etch product engineer at Lam Research before joining the Mechanosynthesis Group at MIT as a postdoctoral associate. There, he conducted research on carbon nanotube technology for electroadhesion and high resolution, nanoporous flexographic printing.
Dr Cedric Briens
Professor, NSERC/Syncrude Industrial Research Chair in Fluid Coking Technologies
- P.Eng
- Dipl. d'Ingénieur (ENSIC) 1975
- Ph.D. (Western) 1980
Cedric Briens is Director, R&D, of the Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) http://www.icfar.ca, which he founded with Dr. Franco Berruti and other colleagues at the University of Western Ontario. He has over 25 years of experience in both academia and industry. His areas of expertise are fluidization and particulate operations, which he has applied, for example, to the development of new reactor technology for the conversion of biomass and heavy oils into valuable products.
